Stray Nightingale
by artificialmasquerade
Summary: Kakashi Hatake had a terrible knack for landing himself in the hospital. Will a mysterious new stranger be his cure?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Why yes, I am starting another story. Will I finish this one? I doubt it, but I'm gonna try. ^_^

I adore Kakashi. He's one cool cat. And I just happen to think it hilarious when he's in the hospital, so I'm putting him back in it. This will be a romance. Probably incredibly cliche and will, at some points, make you want to throw up with its cheesy, lovey-dovey-ness. But I'll try to make it as bearable as possible.

So, we cool?

Awesome sauce.

* * *

><p>She was good at what she did. In fact, she was the best. She had quickly climbed the ranks and been recognized for her <em>talents<em>. She had never thought twice about it before. Her work was routine. It was always the same old same old; get in, play with the toy until it broke, record its squeals, and get out. Simple. Easy. She never thought of them as people. They were criminals, enemies. They **deserved** what she did to them. But recently, the whispers of the people had finally reached her ears and she had begun questioning her upbringing and her superiors. Was this truly right? Were the people she tortured really deserving of it? Did her blind loyalty to the unit make her a monster?

And now... Now she was charged with extracting information out of a child by any means. Surely a mere child wasn't deserving of torture. It was wrong; she felt it in the way her gut rolled. She didn't want to do this. She didn't-

"Master Kiy-"

She cut off her assistant's sentence with a single look. She then approached the metal chair in the center of the room and stared at the young girl strapped to it. She was a beautiful little thing; red hair that had been mirthlessly hacked away, brown eyes with ugly blue bruises circling them and tears streaming endlessly from their corners, pink lips that were so dry and cracked that they bled... Yes, she certainly was beautiful.

The torture master bent down and grasped the light blue crystal resting in the center of her bosom. The girl flinched in fear, eyes growing wide. She very much resembled a cornered deer, the master thought as she removed the tiny cork from the crystal's top and held the rock by her subject's lip. She took her other hand and caressed the girl's cheek. Her heart told her it was wrong to perform her art on a child, but her superiors commanded her otherwise. Her earlier objection had earned her an hour in that same cold metal chair yesterday. She still felt the dull ache from her punishment and wasn't about to disobey again.

"Now now, little one," she whispered, drawing even closer. Her lips brushed the girl's ear. Her voice was tender, motherly. "this can all be over in the blink of an eye." Her hand snaked around the girl's head and tangled itself in what remained of her once-soft, long locks. Without warning, the master pulled the girl's head back forcefully. She cried out in pain. "Just tell me what you know."

"I-I don't know anything! I told you!" she shouted, eyes shut tight against the pain. "I swear!"

The master let go just as suddenly as she had pulled. The movement had caused the girl to bite down on her lip, sending a fresh trail of blood slipping from its cracks. A single drop fell right into the mouth of the crystal's hollow center, turning its light blue hue to a soft lavender. The woman placed the cork back over the opening and let it drop, allowing its leather cord to catch it and pull it back to its resting place between her breasts once again.

"Tsk, tsk," she drawled, stepping back. This was wrong, her moral compass shouted, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was enjoying it. She always had. "Guess I'll have to resort to the grown-up methods." She smiled wickedly. "Consider it your reward for being such a brave little girl."

In truth, her subject wasn't all that little. Her file had said that she was fourteen. That was the same age the woman had been when she was given the title of "master" and officially incorporated into the ranks of the information extraction unit. And now, just four short years later, here she was torturing a child. It felt wrong.

She quelled her uneasiness and instead focused on her hand movements. It had taken nearly a year to perfect her jutsu and she still wasn't entirely confident in its execution. Fingers snapping to the last position, she held her stance for a few tense moments, allowing it to take affect. She reassured herself that by using this method, the girl wouldn't have to endure any further physical harm: Her chances of survival and release would be much higher.

Slowly, she let her hands drop to her sides and switched her gaze to her assistant. He was a wisp of a man, thin and cowardly. He was shaking nearly as terribly as the girl, not used to the intensity of a true master's sessions. The woman rolled her eyes. Pathetic.

"Let's start off slowly and see where we can go from there," she said to him.

That was his cue to flinch. "Of-of course, Master."

He walked towards her hesitantly, rolling the metal table with all her favorite instruments on it. She looked at the gleaming steel pieces in the weak lamplight of the small room. Here they were; her toys, her paintbrushes. With these, she could truly perform her art—carving and painting and molding her subjects' fragile bodies and minds. A delighted chill ran up her spine. She chose a slim knife and picked it from the table with nimble fingers. Licking her lips in anticipation, she positioned the blade over the underside of her arm, just above her wrist. Drawing in a deep breath, she sliced upward. The blood instantly charged forth from the self-inflicted wound and she grimaced. She shouldn't be doing this—not to a child—but assured herself that she was simply causing pain to extract information, nothing more. The girl would be released after they got what they wanted.

The assistant looked between the master and her subject, not quite believing what he was seeing. Oh, he had heard the rumors of her special jutsu, but he had thought it a mere lie bred out of fear of the ruthless woman. This was his first time witnessing the truth firsthand and he was in absolute shock.

The girl was writhing in the chair and struggling with the straps that held her limbs in place. She cried and begged for the pain to stop, but her pleas seemed to only encourage her tormentor. The woman changed the knife's course with a flick of her wrist and carved a jagged path downward. It ended at the tip of her index finger where a steady stream of crimson dribbled to the concrete floor. The girl was still screaming, but no damage had been inflicted to her. It was as though whatever pain came from the master's injuries were felt by the girl instead.

"Will you tell me where he is now?" the woman asked of the girl. She gripped her subject's chin in her blood-drenched hand and forced her fear-stricken eyes to look into her own. There was so much pure innocence in her gaze that the woman almost had to look away. She was horrified, that much was clear.

"P-p-please make it stop." Fresh tears fell from the swollen orbs. "Make the pain stop.

"I can't do that, dear," the master replied without emotion. "Not until you tell me what I want to hear."

"But- but I don't know where my father is!"

The woman could see that she was lying. She knew where that slimy bastard was currently cowering while his daughter was held captive by the enemy. He wouldn't lift a finger to help his own child, and yet she was still trying to protect him. It enraged the torture master, who gave a frustrated shout and slammed her knife into her own thigh. The girl gave a head-splitting shriek. Barely flinching, the master wrenched the knife from her leg and cut clean zigzags down her calf. She smiled faintly as she continued slicing her own flesh. There was something beautiful in the way her skin parted, something almost addicting.

"You," the woman commanded suddenly, looking over her shoulder at her assistant. "Bring me the fourth instrument from the left."

"But, Master, what about your wounds? You'll bleed out."

She glanced down at her hand and leg, appraising what she had done to herself. A small pool was forming at her feet. She sighed, silently confessing that she had been a bit overzealous and cut too deep. She was simply eager to see blood after her session yesterday. Hobbling over to the table, she dropped her knife and it clattered with the other sinister instruments. She then grabbed a roll of gauze and hastily wrapped up the gashes. She did a terrible job bandaging herself up, but she had only wanted to staunch the bleeding. There would be time for proper treatment later.

"I don't think flesh wounds will be enough," she commented dryly.

The assistant gulped and watched the woman with weary eyes as she picked up the tool she had asked him to bring. It was a gruesome-looking clamp. She secured it around her pinky finger and turned her attention back to the girl.

"I need to know where he is. Tell me where your father is hiding." She annunciated each word carefully, her tone dangerously low.

The girl kept her lips shut and her eyes closed. Her vicious shaking and twitching portrayed the fear and agony she was feeling. Sweat glistened on her forehead and dripped down her neck. The master shook her head and gripped the handles of the clamp until her knuckles turned white. She then did something the assistant wasn't expecting and twisted. The bones of her finger snapped with a sickening crunch. Another screech issued from the girl's mouth but the woman didn't pause. She moved to the other finger and broke it just as swiftly. She continued in that pattern until all five fingers of her left hand were mutilated and hanging at awkward angles.

"The human body has two hundred and six bones," the woman said, voice rising over the girl's whimpering. "I will continue to break each one until it is physically impossible for me to continue. Now, will you tell me what I want to know?"

"I don't know." The statement was a whisper, barely audible. The girl was sitting slumped in her chair, no longer having the energy to even hold her head up.

The muscles in the master's stomach clenched at the sight of the broken girl. She had been raised for the purpose of torturing criminals and enemies, but never children. She could reduce the toughest, most courageous of men to screaming, weeping fools in a matter of minutes. She could drive anyone stark raving mad given hours. She could waste someone away to a shell of what they had once been given days. She could do all this without hesitation. Never before had she felt so conflicted about an assignment.

The girl was close to breaking her silence, that much was easy to tell. But at the rate things were going, many more bones would have to be broken and the master simply didn't have the time to spend in recovery. This had to end quickly so she could put the whole thing behind her. Once the girl revealed her father's location, she would be released and all would be well. There was only one solution to a swift end.

"Call in Ginjiro."

"W-w-what?" the assistant spluttered, not believing his ears.

"Ginjiro. Get him in here. **Now.**"

He didn't hesitate a second time and hastily left to retrieve the poison specialist. While waiting for him to return, the woman leaned on the table for support. Though she couldn't feel the pain of her injuries, she could still feel the exhaustion from maintaining her jutsu—another reason to end the session soon. She looked up and studied the girl, who was staring at her in fear of her next action.

"Why?"

The woman's eyes widened at the sound of the small, cracking voice. Was the girl actually speaking?

"Why do you do this? Have you no compassion? No humanity?"

She didn't respond and instead continued to stand there, astonished that her subject was talking. Normally the people in that chair would be sobbing or screaming or begging for their lives at this point. No one had ever asked her those questions so calmly, so simply before. She didn't want to admit the crushing affect it had on her conscience.

"You look a lot like her, you know; my mother. Same eyes."

"I, uh-"

"She was so kind, so caring. I loved her..."

Ah, that explained it. Her eyes were slowly becoming unfocused and her face was taking on a dreamy quality. She was no longer coherent. Her mind was attempting to draw her into herself, taking away her consciousness so she could feel no more pain. If she slipped into the slumber, it would only prolong the entire ordeal. But the poison would take care of that, the woman was sure.

Just as the thought entered her mind, the door to the chamber swung open and two men walked in, one of them being her assistant. The other could be mistaken for no one else but Ginjiro the poison master. He was no older than herself, having been in the same group of infants that were experimented on by the research unit eighteen years ago. However, even though, like her, he had survived the tests, his body hadn't agreed quite as well. His spine had curved at an impossible angle, making him appear half his actual height. His skin was blotched and discolored with a sickly yellow hue. The right side of his face hung limp from a bad reaction to one of the drugs administered to him. It had permanently severed the control of the muscles in that area. He was truly a gruesome sight.

"Ah, my lovely Kiy-"

"Cut the theatrics, Ginjiro," the woman commanded as he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. She couldn't help the bumps that rose on her flesh at his touch. Her skin crawled as he looked up at her with admiration in his eyes. He had always been this way with her. Even more so since _he_ had been murdered.

"Of course, of course," Ginjiro agreed, taking a step back. "What ever do you desire from me?"

Her lip curled in a sneer of disgust at his tone. "You've been working on a new mixture, correct?"

"Yes, but I haven't quite worked out the-"

"Good, mix me a dose," she demanded, not letting him finish. She didn't care if it was fully completed yet. She had heard rumors that it was a special poison; one created to cause unimaginable pain to the one who consumed it but wasn't fatal. She'd been told that the test subjects all reported that it had been the worse thing they'd ever experienced—worse even than her own torture. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed his help. She needed his poison.

"Yes, my love," he conceded, drawing a vial from his robes. He gave a devious chuckle. "I have one already mixed."

He offered it to her and she snatched it from his grasp. "Thank you," she said sarcastically, unstopping the container and draining the black liquid inside in one gulp.

"Ah," Ginjiro began, holding out his hand halfheartedly as if to stop her. "You aren't using the pain transfer jutsu, are you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I am. Why?"

He glanced to the girl sitting in the chair apprehensively. "You took a full dose intended for a well-fed, average-sized adult, not a malnourished child. There's no telling what kind of effect it will have on the poor, poor thing." He gave another laugh as if delighted by the situation.

The woman's head whipped around to look at the girl. She was convulsing in the chair violently. Oh no, what had she done? She sprung into action and quickly undid the restraints, pulling the girl from the chair and laying her on her back on the concrete floor. While trying to avoid flailing limbs, she took her small head into her hands and forced it straight. There was a small bit of foam forming at the corners of her mouth and her eyes had rolled back into her head. Choking noises and distressed grunts were issuing from her throat as she struggled.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," the woman repeated as the girl stopped breathing. She started pushing on her chest, trying to get her lungs to start working again. The girl's body stopped twitching and her head lolled to the side. "Please, please..."

"What are you so worried about?" Ginjiro asked, standing over her and watching her fruitless efforts with amused curiosity. "Did you fail to squeeze the information out of her? Is that why you're so upset?" He placed a hand on her should and she shook it off. "Come now, she wasn't _that_ important. I'm sure the captain-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" she screamed. This was her fault. The girl was dying because of her.

The woman continued pumping for a few moments more and gave up. She let her hands fall, faintly noticing the blood dripping from her blood-soaked bandages. She was panting slightly from her efforts and her breath caught on a sob stuck in her throat. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her jutsu had been developed so she wouldn't kill anyone again. Pain—that was it: Only pain to subjects; no wounds, no blood, no death. And now she had killed a child.

She wasn't supposed to die.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>How's that for a prologue? Nothing like torture to really set the mood for the story. Besides all the mushy stuff I mentioned earlier, this will have some dark undertones to really accent it. :D


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Three cheers for early updates! I was going to try a once-every-few-weeks deal, but I got so much love for this that I decided to post a little early. Special shout out to **LindaNw** for her review. I appreciate it a great deal.

And now to the fun!

* * *

><p>Two men were sitting at their regular posts as the guardians of the gate to Konaha. They were arguing in hushed tones about the dark clouds looming overheard. The one with the bandage wrapped across his nose stood up suddenly and leaned over the table to get a better view of the sky.<p>

"No way, Izumo! There is no way that storm is going to reach the village!"

The man still in his seat rested his head in his hand, effectively tousling his straight, perfectly-placed bangs. He sighed in annoyance. "If you actually looked at the cloud movements and felt the wind patterns, Kotetsu, you'd see that the storm **will** hit Konaha."

"N-" he began to argue, but quickly silenced his rebuttal when a movement from the gate caught his eye. Izumo tensed as well, sensing the new arrival. There was a flicker of familiar yellow hair and blue eyes glancing in their direction before it disappeared into the village. The two guardians looked at each other.

"Did you-?" the standing one asked.

"Team Kakashi?" the other stated in slight disbelief.

"They weren't due back until tomorrow."

"Never mind that," Izumo said, rolling his eyes. "Did you see the state Kakashi was in?"

Kotetsu raised an eyebrow. "No, I only saw a flash of Naruto."

"He looked pretty bad, couldn't stand on his own."

"That can't be good."

Kotetsu slowly sat down again and stared at the same place Izumo's eyes were locked; where team Kakashi stood just moments before. A crack of lightning shot through the sky with the accompanying thunder sounding not long after. The first raindrops pelted the roof of the small building they were sitting in and both looked around in surprise, shocked at how quickly the sunlight had vanished.

"Told you it was going to storm," Izumo remarked with a smirk of victory.

"Hn," Kotetsu grunted. "Whatever."

They settled into a bored silence, letting the rain dull both their minds into a haze. Any onlooker would think the two dead with the way their eyes stared into empty space and their faces drooped with disinterest with their duties. If it weren't for the occasional twitch or smart remark about whatever thought happened to float into their consciousness, they might as well have been lifeless. It was because of this state that they almost didn't see the black-clad figure that came walking through mere moments later.

The slim silhouette slowly made its way past the gate, sticking out like a sore thumb on the empty streets. Whoever it was walked at a steady, sluggish pace as though the torrential downpour battering his or her black cloak simply was not there. A drooping hood domed over a bowed head, the fabric forming to its shape as it gave way to the rain's pressure. The person's arms were folded across their torso, large sleeves hanging low. The cloak reached the ground and a small train dragged behind in the mud, obscuring any footprints made by the stranger. The two gate guardians exchanged apprehensive looks. Would the Akatsuki be so bold as to walk directly through the front gate?

"Cloud pattern?" Izumo asked.

"Solid black," Kotetsu replied, squinting through the thick sheets of rain to get a better view. "You don't think-"

Izumo gave his companion a sideways glance. "Don't think what?"

Kotetsu gulped. "That he's a mass murderer on the hunt for _blood_,do you?"

Izumo rolled his eyes.

"Think about it!" Kotetsu insisted. "Thunderstorm, lightning, deserted street, one handsome guy and his best friend innocently going about their duties as guardians of the Leaf Village gate!" The spiky-haired man had worked himself into hysterics, dragging his hands down his face. _"Why is it always the beautiful ones that die young!_ Save yourself, Izumo! I will sacrifice myself and my good looks for your pitiful existence!"

Izumo crossed his arms and closed his eyes in an attempt to keep himself from punching his friend in the face.

"Go! Go Izumo! Live your life and leave me here to die a courageous, selfless death!" Kotetsu leaned back in his chair and threw his arms over his eyes, trying to subdue his passionate tears.

Izumo landed one good strike to Kotetsu's jaw.

"Hey you!" he yelled at the stranger, deciding to settle the matter once and for all.

"Ow, man," Kotetsu whined, holding his bruised cheek. "Don't call him over here!"

"Shut up!" Izumo took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles as his friend obliged his request, restoring to sinking low in his seat and grumbling.

The figure stopped. The short pause that followed was a tense one as the two guardians held their breath in anticipation. The stranger turned in their direction and, maintaining the same easy pace, began walking towards them. Neither would admit it to the other, but the two were extremely uneasy. What if this individual was foe and not friend? What if his or her intentions were not good ones? What if the stranger were powerful?

The figure halted right outside the booth. The pair sitting just within could hear the rain as it hit the cloak—a rhythmic sound that only aided in unnerving them further. With one step, the stranger closed the gap and stood directly in front of the table, under the cover of the roof. Suddenly, the sounds of the storm outside that was pounding like their heartbeats on their ears only moments ago faded into the distance as they focused on the ominous figure that stood before them.

"Who are you?" Izumo asked.

"What is your business here?" Kotetsu's voice was gruffer than he had intended.

The pair flinched when the sleeves of the cloak parted to reveal pale wrists. A light, feminine laughter erupted from the dark depths of the hood, making Kotetsu and Izumo do a double take. They stared as slender fingers reached up to grip the brim of the hood.

"Easy boys," chuckled the same voice that had been the source of the giggling seconds before. "We're all friends here, I assure."

They gasped as the hood was lowered and the stranger's face revealed. The voice belonged to a slim face with a slightly pointed jaw. Pastel green eyes reflected the mirth displayed on thin pink lips. Pale blond hair fell in straight planes, hovering just below tiny ears. Everything about this woman appeared, at first glance, to be of a tiny, pixie-like stature. She was quite the beauty and she left the gate guardians speechless. Amused by their obvious bewilderment, she chuckled again.

"Kiyomi," she introduced herself, smiling brightly. "Pleasure to meet such handsome men such as yourselves on such a dreary day. You're a welcome sight."

"Village?" the one on the right asked, regaining his composure before his companion. He noticed the lack of a headband bearing her village's symbol and wondered if she perhaps wore it elsewhere...

The woman's smile dropped. "None," she replied in a flat tone.

"No village? But- You must belong somewhere!" the one on the left exclaimed.

The woman shook her head.

"Then your business in the Leaf is-?"

"To simply find a dry place to lay my head and a warm meal to fill my stomach." The woman, Kiyomi, clasped her hands together and held them against her heart. Her eyes grew wide and moist with shining tears. She looked to the heavens as though it would hear her sorrowful tone. "Oh, the life of a traveler! 'Tis too cruel for a delicate rose such as myself! You can't imagine the horrors! Why, all the bandits and bad man always trying to take advantage of such a gorgeous young thing like me? Oh the hardship! Oh the destitution! _OH THE HUMANITY!_"

Kiyomi was openly weeping now. Izumo rolled his eyes at her theatrics. He looked over at his friend to ask what they should do about her and couldn't believe his eyes. Kotetsu's eyes were watering and he had a ridiculously sympathetic look plastered on his face. He sniffed and reached out to the woman, taking her hand in his.

"Oh, you poor, poor thing! Yes, such a beautiful woman should never have to suffer through such a journey. Please, you'll be safe in our village! I'll be sure to protect you! Go right ahead."

The woman's expression instantly changed once again to that of smug happiness. "Why, you're too kind, cutie. May I perhaps learn the name of my glorious guardian?"

His face flushed pink. "K-Kotetsu."

She giggled and gave him a brilliant smile as she turned to head into the village. "Thank you again, Kotetsu! Oh, and you too, Kotetsu's sour-faced friend!"

"S-sour-faced!" Izumo shouted in dismay.

Kotetsu laughed. "Hahaha! She has you pegged!"

"Shut up," he growled, sitting down again. Kotetsu plopped beside him seconds later. Together, they watched her retreating form in contemplative silence.

"No village, huh?" Kotetsu remarked.

"Appears so," Izumo replied.

"She's a-"

"-stray, yeah. Pretty."

"Beautiful. Her laugh-"

"-like a song-"

"-bird, yeah."

"Too bad-"

"-she's a stray, yeah."

"Yeah..."

The rain continued to poor, never relenting in its heavy battery. The two gate guardians continued to sit at their post, wondering about the new stranger as well as the return of Team Kakashi. Nothing exciting happened the rest of the day, but the two pondered what was going to happen in the days to follow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I apologize if I failed to portray Kotetsu's and Izumo's characters properly. It's been ages since I've seen the anime and all I had to go on were the impressions I got of them from pictures. ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hello there, lovely, lovely people you. There are a few I want to thank for their reviews. I would've responded to you each individually, but you cannot believe how crazy things have been here. So, a huge thank you to: **Pinaychik13, Avasaya** and **LindaNW**. Also, thanks to those of you who have added this to your alerts/favorites. It just tickles me pink to log into my email and see new messages from this site.

I have a lot of links for you to check out at the bottom of this, so onto the reading, yeah?

* * *

><p>The scene was absolute chaos in a small, white-walled hospital room on the other side of Konaha Village. Sakura and Naruto had just laid a panting Kakashi on the bed when the screaming started. The shinobi, usually composed and silent, let out a blood-curdling howl of pain and began clawing at the small wounds covering his body, effectively tearing them open wider. Blood quickly stained the pristine, eggshell sheets a sickening red. Nurses came flooding in and, with the ninjas' help, they managed to restrain him long enough to insert a sedative into his bloodstream. They waited a few tense seconds for the drug to take effect before releasing their hold. The group watched with confused horror when his distress continued. Naruto stepped forward with the intention of helping when a male nurse stopped him.<p>

"Give the sedative a few more moments."

Naruto growled low in frustration. How could everyone be so calm when his sensei was writhing in such obvious agony before their eyes? It wasn't right. It wasn't-

"It's not working!" he insisted, fists balling at his sides.

He was right, Sakura noted. It wasn't working. The dose they gave him should have taken affect almost immediately. She suppressed the rising fear bubbling in her stomach and tied her light pink hair behind her head. She set her jaw, decided the take charge of the situation and turned to the nurse beside her.

"Tie him down," she demanded coolly. Four of the aids rushed forward to do as she had asked. It took them a few moments of struggle to secure his flailing limbs with the leather straps at the four corners of the bed. As soon as the fifth and final strap was drawn across his chest, Sakura set to work. She prepared another injection and administered it swiftly. Everyone held their breath and waited. Kakashi's movements slowed for just a moment before he was back to writhing and fighting his restraints. Sakura knew there were other sedatives to try, but felt they'd be as ineffectual as the last two and only serve to waste time.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked hesitantly, studying her quizzical look with apprehension. She glanced at him as though noticing his presence for the first time.

"Go wait outside."

"But-"

"Naruto."

The way she said his name and he look she gave him made Naruto want to obey immediately. He remembered the last time she was like this in the Sand Village. If anyone could help Kakashi, it was Sakura. Naruto didn't want to get in her way, but he had to do **something**. After all, it was _his_ fault Kakashi had gotten hurt. He hadn't been strong enough or fast enough when they had been attacked. Kakashi had been forced to protect him and had gotten hurt in the process.

A rough shove by a passing nurse and his mentor's sickening shouts of pain pulled Naruto from his reverie. He looked around himself in bewilderment. People were rushing past in blurs, carrying supplies or relaying orders. Everyone was working while he just stood by doing nothing—again. He shuffled back to move out of the way each time someone hurried past him and soon found himself at the door. He stood there undecided, looking from the empty hallway behind him to the bustling room he was standing at the edge of. Sakura suddenly glanced up and caught his gaze. Her eyes were pleading him to oblige her request but, more importantly, Naruto noticed the fear glistening in them.

His mind made up, Naruto turned his back on the room and slowly made his way out of the hospital and into town. Perhaps what he needed was some time to think. Yes, he decided, being alone with his thoughts for now would be the best thing to do, seeing as how he was so useless everywhere else. A quiet place, like his small room, would be the perfect place for that. He headed in that direction.

It had started to rain in the short time he had spent in the hospital. People ran past him as they scurried to escape the downpour. Lamps were lit all along the street as the day turned to a bleak gray. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and bowed his head low, grumbling to himself.

"Stupid Sakura, kicking me out like that. Stupid Kakashi-sensei, getting hurt like that. Stupid me for not protecting mmph-"

His words were muffled by a surprisingly soft wall he had managed to run into. He looked up in shock and froze. A person. He had collided with probably the only other person in the village who wasn't rushing indoors. A soaked hood obscured his or her face, but he knew they had to be small, barely a head taller than himself. And, he couldn't be sure, but if the two small hills his chin was currently resting between were any indicator, then this he or she was most definitely a she.

"Whoops," laughed an unmistakably feminine voice. "Didn't see ya' there, kiddo."

She gently removed him from against her body. As the chill returned to him, (She had been very warm despite the cold rain.) so did his sour mood. He mumbled a gruff "sorry" and made to move past her, but she kept a firm grip on in his arm. He grunted in mild astonishment. She was strong.

"You seem a bit glum," she commented, spinning to face him. She bent her knees slightly to his eyelevel and the lamplight illuminated her face. He was slightly annoyed to find puzzled eyes and a kind smile greeting him. He shrugged out of her grasp and began walking away. She followed.

"Come now, it's not because I ran into you, is it? Because, you know, it's a bit difficult to see with this stupid thing in my face," she said in reference to her hood.

Naruto ignored her in hopes that she would go away. He really didn't feel like holding a conversation with anyone at the moment. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. And besides, he had no clue who this woman was.

"I really am sorry," she continued, the pitch of her voice rising in response to the sudden thunder. "Let me make it up to you? I didn't mean-"

Naruto had had enough. He didn't want to hear her incessant babble. He was tired and hurt and confused. He just wanted to be alone. Was that really too much to ask? He stopped abruptly and she was right behind him, not a hair's breadth from nearly running into him again. He felt his jaw clench in agitation.

"Will you just go away? I don't care that you ran into me or whatever."

Naruto started forward again and was relieved to feel the missing presence of her body right behind his. To make sure she had really taken the hint this time, he glanced back slowly. She was standing in the same spot they had stopped in seconds before. He thought—hoped—she would stay, but she didn't. She jolted forward and began following him again. He sighed in exasperation and quickened his pace.

"Something's troubling you." Her tone sounded as if she were still apologizing, not making a statement. Her persistent concern made Naruto soften just enough to give a real reply.

"Someone I care about is hurt because I was unable to protect him. I wasn't strong enough." His feet sped up again, like he was trying to run away from his own words.

"Then get stronger." She made the suggestion as though it were the simplest and most obvious solution. "Don't focus on not being able _now_, focus on being able in the future."

He couldn't deny the truth in her words, but he **had** been training. Hard. He should have been enough then. He knew that much. But he had only gotten in the way and forced Kakashi to protect him once again.

"So... Wanna talk about it? Nothing like confiding in a complete strange to really lift your spirits."

Naruto shook his head. It would have been easy to outrun her. A simple shadow clone jutsu would be more than enough to lose her. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He thought he had wanted nothing more than to be alone, but it had felt somewhat good telling her what little bit he had. And there was something almost comforting about her being there that set him at ease. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to talk to her...

"I don't even know your name."

She laughed and took him by the elbow. "I'll tell you when we're out of this rain."

She led him up and down the street before making up her mind and walked into a random building. She had selected a medium-sized teahouse. The pair was shown to a small table next to a window and Naruto sat cross-legged on the mat across from the woman he barely knew. He looked around the spacious, open room as she gave a rather large order for a woman of her diminutive size.

The teahouse was filled mostly with older men. Naruto wouldn't normally be caught dead in a place like this. Although, he supposed, nothing about that day had been normal so far. It was only a little past noon and he wondered what other strange events would occur.

"My name is Kiyomi."

Naruto turned his gaze back to the stranger, Kiyomi. She had fully removed her cloak. She met his gaze and quickly averted it to study the table. She reached around to the back of her head and flicked a long ponytail over her shoulder and fiddled with the red ribbon her hair was tightly wrapped in. With most of her hair bound as it was, it gave her the appearance of having chopped locks as the shorter layers fell in straight planes around her head.

"You're not from the Leaf, are you?" He had certainly never seen her before.

She still refused to look him in the eyes and moved from her ribbon to mess with the folds and pockets on her tan vest. Naruto looked, but could find no indication of her village anywhere. Maybe the standard headband was tied around her leg; or even sewn to her pants like Shikamaru's was to his sleeve.

"Ah, no, I'm not," she replied at last.

"Then what village _are_ you from?"

Kiyomi began rearranging the three flowers in the small vase on the table. A pause followed in which Naruto wondered how many times a person could push around a flower before getting tired with it. He watched with boredom and slight agitation as she made and remade the same patterns again and again. Purple, blue, white. Blue, white purple. White, purple, blue. Purple, blue, white...

"...None," she muttered, popping the word out softly.

"So, a traveler, huh? Do you just go from village to village or what?"

He was taken aback when she looked up suddenly. Her pastel eyes were wide and her face blank. Naruto scrunched up his brow in confusion.

"Huh?" he grunted, wondering what her deal was.

"Nothing." She shook her head and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Village to village. I go wherever I want when I want. I never stay in the same place for long."

"Wow, that must be fun." Naruto scratched the side of his nose in contemplation. "Yeah, never having to answer to anyone? Doing what you want? Man, must be nice."

Kiyomi laughed. "Haha, it is."

She didn't have time for a longer reply because her meal had arrived. Naruto watched in disbelief and slight admiration as she wolfed down the food. She offered him a rice ball in the midst of her frenzy and he took it hesitantly, nibbling at it as he continued to stare at her.

"Fo, waf's uor nahm?" she asked with a mouthful.

It took him a second to decipher what she had said before he could reply. "Naruto Uzumaki, future hokage of the Leaf!"

Kiyomi took a huge swallow and smacked her lips. "You're sure of yourself, hm?"

The way her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him made the tops of Naruto's ears go warm. He looked away when he felt his cheeks color. He got that same safe, bubbly feeling in the pit of his stomach that had appeared earlier. If he weren't trying to ignore it, he'd note the emotion as an almost maternal affection towards her.

"Well, I believe in you. I can tell that you're the type to do whatever you put your mind to, kiddo," Kiyomi stated, attacking an innocent bowl of rice.

Naruto gazed at her with wide eyes. All of a sudden it felt as though he were on cloud nine. It took him a minute to recover and pick up the conversation.

"What's with the 'kiddo' title, anyway?" he asked, putting his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand. "You can't be much older than me."

Kiyomi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, wanna take a guess, then? How old do you think I am?"

"Mm... seventeen," he replied with confidence.

She surprised him by bursting out with laughter. "Hahaha, oh... My mind is decided: You're my most favorite little ninja ever." She wiped the tears from her eyes with a hand that still held rice-encrusted chopsticks.

"Hn?" he grunted in confusion. "Don't tell me you're like Grandma Tsunade."

Kiyomi sobered at the mention of the current hokage's name. "Ah, no, I just age very well, apparently. I'm tweny-four, Naruto; which, I believe, would make me much older than you."

"No kidding? Huh, that means you're..." He trailed off, holding his hands in front of his face to count. His tongue peeped from the corner of his mouth as he lowered his fingers slowly. "five years younger than Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto's mood turned sour again as he thought of his sensei. Kakashi was in the hospital, fighting for his life, while he was here in a teahouse having a nice time. It made his feel incredibly guilty.

"Is he the one who got hurt?" Kiyomi inquired. She had instantly adjusted to his change and her voice was soft. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand in hers. "What happened?"

Naruto shut his eyes tight as he tried to make sense of the memories of that night. The trio had been on their way back from a completed mission. They were camping out under the stars. Kakashi volunteered to take first watch. Naruto recalled falling asleep to the sight of the man reading one of his filthy books by the light of the fire. Next thing he knew, he was sitting straight up, wide awake as a horrible laughter filled his ears. Kakashi ordered both him and Sakura to stay behind him and be on the alert. A barrage of kunai rained down on them. Naruto tried to do what he could, but Kakashi was too strong. He grabbed his two pupils and sheltered them as his back, arms and legs were torn to shreds by the throwing knives.

The action had been over as quick as it began. The laughter came back as Kakashi collapsed. The laughing voice spoke words that Naruto couldn't hear. His own heartbeat in his ears had been too loud. He chased after the assailant, but only caught a glimpse of a short, stout figure before Sakura wrestled him to the ground. She knocked the sense back into him and together they carried Kakashi back to the village. Sakura had said something about poison, but Naruto couldn't understand a word. All he knew was that it had been his fault. He hadn't been strong enough and Kakashi had been compelled to protect him.

"Naruto, there's no way what happened was your fault. You couldn't have-"

He stood up suddenly. He must have spoken aloud. Though she was trying to be comforting now, Kiyomi's words only angered him. Why wouldn't she let him blame himself? This is why he had wanted to be alone. All anyone ever did was coddle him and not let him take any responsibility. How was he supposed to be able to protect the entire village when he failed to keep his mentor safe?

"You don't understand. No one understands."

He turned and abruptly left the teahouse . Kiyomi looked after him with a dejected expression, but she didn't dare follow him this time. At that moment, he could have cared less if he ever saw her again, angry as he suddenly was. Little did he realize the importance her company would be to him and his sensei.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Is it not strange that Kiyomi, a complete stranger, seems to know who Tsunade is? Who was this unknown assailant in the forest? What is Kakashi's fate? What is Kiyomi's importance? All will be semi-explained in the next chapter!

Ahem. So, those links I promised you?

Go listen to Auf Kurs (.com/watch?v=dcxLbLUk8UI&feature=fvst) or its English version On Course (.com/watch?v=WVu_2NVDyWM) by Oomph! the greatest band in the world. Seriously. It's (they're?) the theme song for this little story. You'll totally understand the symbolism in the next few chapters when the going gets good. ;D

Now, I have this story posted on Mibba, too. So, if you want to read this with a nice pretty layout, hop on over there. Same title. I have a link to my profile on there on my profile on here. (Whoa, confusing, much?)

That's it for this week, folks. Awesome Sauce.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Hey, hey, hey. Sorry for my slow updating time. Here's a really long chapter to make up for it. And, because I love you guys so much, this chapter includes a special Kakashi insight that I didn't publish on Mibba's chapter. ^_^ Forgive me?

Big hugs and kisses to **Celtic-Memories, Pinaychik13, LindaNW** and **Avasaya **because they commented. 3

(All right, all right, tiny hugs and kisses to those who at least read this. I love you guys too.)

Am I weird? It suddenly occurred to me that I might be...

* * *

><p>After Naruto had abruptly left her in the teahouse, Kiyomi paid for her meal and then scoured the village for an inn. After much searching in the unrelenting downpour, she had finally stumbled across a shabby building in a back alley. Soaked and desperate, she spent the last of her funds on a tiny, dusty room. If she failed to find a way to make money—usually odd jobs for the villagers—then her visit to the village would be short-lived. She would have to move on as quickly as she had come.<p>

She dropped her cloak on the floor, stepping over it as a puddle quickly formed, and plopped onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. A thick cloud of dust sprang up from the unwashed bedspread and she coughed violently. Once the old dirt had settled, Kiyomi laid back heavily and kicked off her shoes. The supplies packed into the many pockets of her vest pushed and prodded her flesh, forcing her to shrug out of the material and fling it against the opposite wall.

Kiyomi stared up at the ceiling and let the drum of her heart pound out the aches in her tired muscles. She'd been on the road for so long now that she could barely remember the last village she had been in. Maybe one with sand...? The memory was fuzzy. But that was her life; a never-ending kaleidoscope of towns and people. The only solid, steady thing before her was the path she walked and the stars she usually slept under. That had been her life since _that_ day. That awful, terrible day...

_"Oh no, oh no, oh no," the woman repeated as the girl stopped breathing. She started pushing on her chest, trying to get her lungs to start working again. The girl's body stopped twitching and her head lolled to the side. "Please, please..."  
><em>

_"What are you so worried about?"_

Kiyomi sat up screaming and slick with sweat. She must have fallen asleep and had a nightmare. She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. The image of that little girl's pallid face and the whites of her eyes burned behind Kiyomi's lids, but she dared not open them. She shut her eyes tight and let the image burn behind them. She focused on every detail, from the twitching muscles of her brow to the small strain of saliva stretching from her shoulder to the slack corner of her mouth. Kiyomi wanted to remember her mistake. She refused to forget her sin.

Slowly, after a few silent moments, Kiyomi pulled her hands away from her face. The girl's image faded into darkness and Kiyomi opened her eyes to the dim gray light of her room. Morning had arrived, but heavy clouds still hung thick in the sky, masking the sunrise. Her breath came in shallow gasps and she glanced around her small quarters with slight suspicion. The nightmare had brought forth things from her past that she had pushed into her subconscious—namely the memory of a grotesquely-deformed slug of a man whom she held so much loathing towards. She studied her discarded cloak with a critical eye, half-expecting a sinister laugh to escape from its depths. She shuddered and the memory of _him_, the one with the poison heart.

"Oh," she gasped suddenly, springing up from her bed. "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh..."

Kiyomi grasped her vest and began tearing through its many pockets as a sudden realization hit her. Kunai, throwing stars, and scrolls soon littered the floor near her feet as she haphazardly tossed the items aside. She found what she was looking for in the inner breast pouch and pulled it out. The pendant's black string wrapped around her wrist as she held the crystal up to the weak light filtering through tattered curtains. A soft blue glow lit up her eyes as she contemplated to fate of Naruto's friend.

* * *

><p>"Sir? Sir, excuse me! Excuse me, sir?"<p>

Finally, the man Kiyomi had been trying to flag down turned to face her as she ran up behind him. She was slightly surprised by the smooth roundness of his face. If he actually were a man, and not still a boy as she suspected, than he had not been one for long. She took a moment to catch her breath as the young man gave her a curious look.

"Do you..." She trailed off into a fit of coughs. She was incredibly out of shape for one who spent her life traveling. "Do you know where I could find the hospital?"

He scratched his bowl-cut head and glanced around himself to get his bearings straight.

"Yes, let's see... Take a left at the end of this street, a right at the next, another right, a left and the hospital should be straight ahead!"

She stared at him blankly as he continued to give her a slightly creepy, all-to-friendly grin. His large black eyebrows slowly drooped the longer the two stood there, neither moving or saying a word. A few leaves swirled past their faces in the damp storm wind.

"I," Kiyomi said at last, drawing the syllable out, "have no clue what you just said." She grinned and scratched the side of her nose sheepishly.

The boy nearly fell over backwards in incredulity. After he had recovered, he stood straighter and a determined look made its way onto his features. "Then I, Rock Lee, shall accompany you, Miss!" He raised his fist to the sky as he made his proclamation. "I shall make it my duty—nay, my honor!—to keep you safe from harm as we traverse this path! I will become your humble, obliging guide on this journey and deliver you safely to your destination!" He placed his enclosed hand overtop his heart and bowed low.

"Eh..?" It took all of Kiyomi's willpower to not roll her eyes. "That was a great speech, kid, but I just want to get to the hospital, no through a war-torn country or bandit-infested forest."

Undaunted by her unenthusiastic response, the boy straightened and beckoned her forward. Delighted to finally be on a sure course, she hopped in line beside him and grasped the crook of his elbow. She chuckled softly when she saw from the corner of her eye the blush beginning to creep on his face. He was determinedly looking ahead with intense focus. _Such a sheltered boy..._

"What business does the hospital hold for you, Miss-?"

"Kiyomi," she replied cheerily, amused by his discomfort. "I just came to visit a friend is all." It'd be better if fewer people knew her true intentions.

"Your friend, they are ill?"

"They are."

"I am very sorry, Miss Kiyomi. I wish them a speedy recovery!" His voice held a lot of fervor for one so young.

"Thank you, Rock. But, if you please, call me Kiyomi. The formal title makes me feel old."

"Nonsense!" the boy proclaimed. "The fire of youth burns strongly in your eyes! No one could mistake you for being older than seventeen!"

She snorted with laughter. "What is with the men in this village? Do I really look that much like a kid? I mean, I know I'm small, but..." Her humor disappeared as she began to seriously ponder the question, stopping mid-footfall as she thought. Her thumb found her chin and her index finger prodded her bottom lip absent-mindedly.

"Tell me, Rock, do I truly resemble a child?" she begged, suddenly clinging to his arm and looking up at him with large, distressed eyes.

"Erm..." It was his turn to be taken aback by her odd behavior. Under her gaze, he could feel the color flush his skin and the beads of sweat form on his forehead. There was no doubt that she was alluring—her close proximity was nothing he would object to—but he sensed something more intimidating lurking behind her beauty in that moment.

"No, no!" he amended. "I just meant that you look like a gorgeous young woman at the peak of her youth! Not a child at all!"

In one quick blink of the eyes, her tears vanished and her mood skyrocketed. She dragged him forward in a sudden rush of energy, though she had no clue where she was going. He sighed in relief as her cheer returned, ignoring the throbbing pain of his shoulder, which she nearly pulled from its socket.

"Oh Rock, how kind of you to say such flattering things," she cooed, allowing him to take the lead once again. She refused, however, to let go of his elbow. "It's true that I'm at the peak of my youth, but I'm not _that_ young."

"Oh?" he inquired. "Eighteen then?"

"Nope," she replied happily.

"Nineteen?"

"Wrong-o."

"...Twenty?"

"Ah, no."

"How old _are_ you?" This back-and-forth was getting nowhere.

"Never ask a lady her real age, Rock dear," she replied, keeping the same joyful tone to her voice. Though now it held a sharp edge that made Lee gulp. "If you do, she may just have to castrate you on the spot, okay?" Her grip on his arm tightened briefly, long enough to convey to him the danger he was now in.

"Oh." In that moment, he had never feared for his life more. This woman was a maelstrom of emotions, switching erratically. It was exhausting trying to keep up with her.

"Pfft."

Kiyomi began shaking violently and turned her head to the side, away from him. Her free hand went to cover her mouth and he looked at her in concern. Was she going to be sick or..?

"Ahahahaha!" she burst out, no longer able to contain her laughter. "Your face! Your face! Ah, it was priceless! You should have seen your face!"

People passing the pair on the street turned to glance at who was causing the noise. Rock colored in embarrassment. Her loud guffaws rang in his ears as he lowered his eyes to the sidewalk to continue his study of it. He tried not to look back up at the confused and irritated looks of the other pedestrians, silently willing Kiyomi to quiet down.

"I was kidding, just kidding," she explained after regaining her composure. "I'm twenty-four." Though the amusement remained on her lips and in her tone, she felt a bit remorseful about scaring the poor boy. He had looked genuinely terrified. His expression suddenly popped up in her mind and she chuckled again.

Lee wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't. In truth, he was afraid to. There was no telling what Kiyomi would do next. She was unpredictable and incredibly strange. This had to have been the single oddest experience he had had in his life so far. He just didn't know how to handle it. As a result of his hesitation, the two settled into an uneven silence the rest of the walk to the hospital. Lee stayed resolutely silent while Kiyomi let out soft giggles and proclamations of "Your face!" every few steps.

The woman glanced up and saw a long, official-looking building standing before her. Finally, after a hectic morning, she had reached her destination. Kiyomi turned to her guide and gave him a peck on the cheek, lingering a bit longer than necessary. The effect was as she had predicted; his eyes grew larger than his fists and his mouth stood slightly agape in shock. She laughed, shook her head, and turned to face the hospital's entrance. She gave a lazy, back-handed wave as she approached the double doors and then squared her shoulders, bracing herself for what she was about to do.

"Thanks for your help, kid," she called before disappearing into the building.

Kiyomi walked through the entrance hallway, nearly staggering under the heavy scent of hospital-cleanliness. She reached the foyer and stopped dead in her tracks. Her courage failed her and she hesitated. Tsunade. Could she face that woman? Right now, her tense gut told her no. Her feet turned in response to her cowardice and her sandals squeaked, instantly betraying her presence. She flinched as the blond looked up from the documents she had been standing at the front desk reading.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Tsunade breathed, snapping the file shut.

"Tsunade, what a pleasant surprise," Kiyomi muttered in response.

The atmosphere of the room crackled with intensity. The two women glared at each other across the reception area. The nurse sitting behind the front desk could practically see the electricity fly between their eyes. She gulped and sank under the desktop, leaving only enough of her head above the polished wood so she could peep in on what was going on. Tsunade's brow twitched in response to the spasms of Kiyomi's fingers. Both women looked like they were on the verge of starting something when—

"It's been so boring not having you around!" the hokage suddenly laughed, rushing forward to embrace the other woman.

"Ah, I apologize then," Kiyomi replied, relief coursing through her. "I'll try to stick around a bit longer this time."

The nurse looked on the exchange in utter confusion. Their moods had been so intense before. But that had dissolved and now they embraced like old friends. Tsunade's temper was legendary and not known to disband into friendliness so easily. It was mind-boggling. Only the two women knew the joke behind their actions.

"What are you doing here?"

"Gee, an old war buddy can't come for a visit without having ulterior motives? I'm hurt, Tsunade." Kiyomi placed her hand over her heart in mock pain. "In truth, I'm surprised you're being so kind to me." She averted her gaze.

"What happens on the field of battle is as unpredictable as the ones who initiated the fight. I don't blame you for your actions. I would have done the same in your place."

Kiyomi sighed in relief. A weight had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders and she felt like she could breathe again.

"I was actually just passing through until I met a young man with some very perplexing news," she said, quickly changing the topic from the past to the real reason she was there. She caught the blonde's eyes and their expressions both turned grim.

"It appears to be the same," Tsunade began, knowing exactly what Kiyomi spoke of. "Similar symptoms, but enough time has passed for the method to be perfected. We're having difficulty drawing the poison out and cracking its formula."

The older woman led Kiyomi down the pristine eggshell hallways, handing her the file she had been holding as they went. Kiyomi opened it and began examining what was inside. There was a profile on the patient. _Kakashi Hatake, male, twenty-nine years,_ etc. She briefly looked over his personal information and skipped to the analysis records behind it. She made a futile attempt to keep track of where she was going, the twists and turns of the hospital halls, but eventually gave up to focus her attention on the information under her nose. She could see why they were having trouble finding an antidote. With the poison's composition, many of the ingredients were inseparable and indistinguishable from others.

"I honestly don't think there's much you can do here, Kiyomi," Tsunade said at last, still walking. "The poison isn't deteriorating muscle or actively attacking any organs. It simply causes severe pain and prevents the patient from going into an unconscious state. At this point, our biggest threat is infection. Several small abrasions cover his body. We have him restrained, but he struggles violently and keeps reopening his wounds. If they don't stay closed long enough to heal..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her prediction.

"From the boy's description, I figured that'd be the case." Kiyomi fiddled with the neck of her shirt, pulling free the crystal she hadn't worn for several years until that morning. "I came prepared to do what I could."

Tsunade gave her an incredulous look. "Not-"

"Yeah," she replied, an almost sad tint in her tone. "That boy, Naruto, he reminded me a lot of _him_. I still have much to repent for."

"You understand what this means."

They stopped outside a closed wooden door. Muffled shouts and sounds of struggle filtered into the hallway. Kiyomi nodded, looking down again. It couldn't be helped. This was something she had to do. She had to do something good and completely selfless for once in her life, no matter the cost. Otherwise, she would never be able to face Shinjiro in the next life.

"Hey, Grandma Tsunade!" The blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who reminded Kiyomi so much of her precious person came running down the hall. "Hey, what is **she** doing here?" His gaze was distrusting and his tone suggested that he hadn't fully forgiven her for whatever insulting thing she had said last night.

"Naruto, is that any way to talk to a lady?" Tsunade scolded.

He shrugged in response. "Seriously," he said, making to move passed her. "I came to see Kakashi-sensei."

Tsunade held him back. "Just a minute, Naruto. Let Kiyomi go in first."

"What? Why? She doesn't even-"

"Naruto-"

"No," Kiyomi interrupted, turning and placing her hand on the doorknob, "it's all right. I think I may need his help. But prepare yourself, Naruto, because you may not like what you see."

She opened the door and Kakashi's wails, semi-stifled by the damp rag clamped between his teeth, hit the boy's stomach and twisted his insides. Desperately wanting to be of some use, he clenched his jaw, hardened his nerves, and marched right in behind Kiyomi. Tsunade came in last, shutting the door behind herself.

"Once he stills, you still won't be able to draw all the poison from his body. So much as a little drop remains, the pain will continue." Kiyomi stood with her back to them and pulled the pendant above her head and untangled it from the two long ribbon-wrapped braids hanging from the base of her head.

"I know," Tsunade replied. "Will you be able to hold until we find an antidote?"

A few seconds of contemplative silence was the only response.

"Kid, you wouldn't happen to have a kunai with you, would you? I left all my supplies in my room."

Naruto pulled a blade from the pouch he kept strapped to his thigh. He tossed it in her direction and, to his surprise, she caught it easily without turning. She pulled the cork from the top of the crystal with her teeth and swiftly nicked her finger with the knife. She forced a single drop of blood into the mouth of the rock and its blue tint turned lavender as it accepted the offering. She resealed it and walked forward to place the pendant around Kakashi's neck. She could feel Naruto's eyes burning a hole in the back of her head, but still did not turn around.

As the man jerked forward once again against his restraints, Kiyomi managed to slip the fraying black string over his head. Her fingers brushed against his cheeks as she did so and she felt his soaked, scorching skin against her own. A fever had already set in. She jumped when his left hand suddenly freed itself and latched onto her own, pressing her cool digits into the side of his face. His struggling calmed, though his muscles still twitched, and the rag fell from his mouth. Only his heavy panting could be heard, no screaming. His right eye opened slightly and stared at her. She had seen those eyes, that same agonized look, many times in her past. She was familiar with the silent begging behind the pained glaze. She turned her head in shame for the third time that day and snatched her hand away.

"Naruto, come hold his arm down for me."

The boy did as she asked and hurried forward to awkwardly force his sensei's arm down by his side. Naruto was having trouble with the man's waning strength, and his face betrayed that even that small dominance over Kakashi pained him. Sensing his unease, Kiyomi didn't hesitate a minute longer. She dove right into the complex series of hand gestures of her jutsu. Only this time, unlike all the others, she did it backwards. She wasn't looking to transfer pain from herself to a recipient, but rather to become the recipient. This time, she would be the one to feel the bite of the poison.

Kiyomi inhaled sharply as her fingers locked into the final position. She felt her chakra fluctuate in response and reach out to attach to the crystal. As soon as it made contact, a searing pain tore through her chest and head. She hadn't been fully prepared for the shock and stumbled back. A firm hand pressed into the hollow of her back and steadied her. She glanced behind herself and nearly fell forward in her rush to get away from her savior. Had Rock Lee aged twenty years in twenty minutes? The man who stood behind her looked exactly like him, down to the bushy eyebrows and green jumpsuit. How was that possible?

"Guy, Sakura is in the greenhouse. Tell her to come here immediately."

Just as quickly as he appeared, the older version of Lee disappeared to do the hokage's bidding with a dejected look on his face.

"Guy?" Kiyomi asked, her voice sounding strained. She looked around the room to see if Naruto had somehow magically aged as well. He was still the same, though looking a bit perplexed, and stood against a wall out of the way.

"Might Guy. Leader of a team." Tsunade said bluntly, motioning to a chair sitting beside Kakashi's hospital bed. Kiyomi sat down heavily. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle this? I don't know how long it'll take to find an antidote."

The woman waved her hand dismissively. "I just need a moment to catch my breath. It's been awhile since I've used the reversal technique."

A stirring from the bed caught everyone's attention. Kakashi's hand reached out to Kiyomi and she caught it without thinking. She looked on him in surprise. Without the agony contorting his features, he looked peaceful—and handsome, she noted with a slight blush. Her breath hitched, and not because of the pain burning through her veins.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse and rough from the screaming.

"The hospital," Kiyomi replied, smiling gently. "You should rest. You've been fighting a tough battle. You need your energy to recover."

His grip on her hand tightened in a soundless askance to stay. She obliged and scooted forward in her chair. She used her free hand to reach forward and smooth back the hair clinging to his soaked forehead. She ignored the slimy feel of his hot skin and the sweat saturating her palm as his face smoothed and his eyes drifted shut. For a man who was five year older than herself, he looked very young in his sleep.

"Lady Tsunade, you called for me?"

The sudden feminine voice made Kiyomi jump. She noticed the small smile playing on her lips for the first time and swiftly dropped it in slight embarrassment. Naruto had approached the bed and stared at her hand intertwined in his sensei's. Self-conscious, she attempted to remove her fingers. Kakashi's brow creased as she struggled against his grip. She sighed in exasperation and gave up, rolling her eyes when his face smoothed again.

"Take this opportunity to get a sample of his blood. With any luck, some of the poison will follow. Analyze it quickly," Tsunade instructed.

Kiyomi strained her neck to see who the hokage had addressed. A young girl, who she assumed was Sakura, scurried around the room collecting what she needed to draw a sample of blood from a napping Kakashi.

"A nurse should come tend to his wounds as well," Kiyomi piped up.

Tsunade nodded at Guy, who had just reentered the room. He hung his head and turned to leave yet again, mumbling something about being an "errand boy." Sakura paused when she noticed Kakashi's and Kiyomi's hands. She blushed and turned to make her way to the opposite side of the bed.

"He won't let go," Kiyomi explained a little hastily.

Sakura grinned. "Is that so?" she commented, already distracted with her extraction task.

Kiyomi colored again, feeling suspiciously like there was some secret behind the younger girl's smile. She didn't like not knowing her thoughts. Kiyomi barely felt the prick of the needle as it entered Kakashi's vein. Once a small vial was full, Sakura withdrew the thin metal tube and hurried from the room. A nurse bustled in moments later and Tsunade ushered Naruto from the room and closed the door. Kiyomi faintly heard hushed voices as the returning Guy struck up a series of complaints with the hokage.

The woman shifted her gaze to the window as the nurse set about redressing Kakashi's injuries. It had started to rain once more. A slow drizzle washed over the glass and pattered the roof hypnotically. She readjusted her hand in his and took note of how easily his large, calloused fingers engulfed her slim, soft ones.

* * *

><p>He remembered faintly the feel of cloth against his skin when he was laid on a mattress. After that, his mind was nothing but a searing, hot agony. He couldn't tell if he cried, couldn't feel his body convulse in pain. There was only him trapped inside his head with eye-watering suffering surrounding. In a few fleeting moments of coherency, he pondered the possibility of sharingan, which lead to flashes of Itachi. But no, he realized briefly, this was something else entirely—something far more horrible.<p>

The pain would then come crashing back in waves, halting all sense and reason. Was he dying? Was this Hell? No, it was worse still. He could do nothing but attempt to endure this cruel punishment for deeds he knew not he had committed. Had it been minutes—hours?—days?—since this torture began? He had no way, nor any will, to find out.

All of a sudden, a shock of ice rocked through his body. It was like all the heat, and all the pain that accompanied it, was being drawn from his chest. He could feel nothing of the sting. He forced his eyelids to part and was stunned by what he saw. An angel. An ethereal, pale beauty stood above him. Surely, this was heaven and the entity above was his guardian, sent to save him from purgatory. He felt her cool touch on his brow and nearly purred in gratitude.

"Where am I?" he heard himself whisper through muffled ears.

"The hospital," came her soft reply and matching smile. "You should rest. You've been fighting a tough battle. You need..."

He didn't have the chance to hear what he needed. His tired body overcame his curiosity and he drifted off into a deep slumber. Before he completely went under, he felt his angel's hand in his. An overwhelming peace washed over him as his fingers completely covered hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Haha, poor Guy, reduced to an errand boy. Wonder what his first intention was being at Kakashi's room? Hm...

Ever heard of the blogging site tumblr? Well, I decided to make Kiyomi her own blog. Be sure to follow and ask questions. :) straynightingale(dot)tumblr(dot)com.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Thanks to **Vouvezsoir **for her review of chapter four and a big shout out to **TalaxVampirella **for reminding me that this story even existed. I'm such a bad writer, I forgot I had things to write! But I'm back now and to those of you who are still with me and those who are just now joining the ride: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I appreciate each and every one of you and you really are a source of inspiration for me.

I will try my best to be a diligent updater from now on!

* * *

><p>Kiyomi stood in the corner of the hospital room with her arms crossed. She was openly staring at the man sleeping peacefully in the white-clad bed to her right. It had been nearly three hours since Tsunade cleared everyone out of the room and half an hour after that until the man had let go of Kiyomi's hand. It still held the warmth of his flesh and she clenched it tightly. She knew this had been a bad idea. She knew she shouldn't have let herself get involved in the business of another village. It would only end in trouble.<p>

Even so, she couldn't let another person become a victim of Ginjiro's poison…

Kiyomi sighed and glanced out the window. She placed her still-folded arms on the ledge and gently nudged the glass panels apart with her forehead. They slid open easily and the soft sounds of the pattering rain outside filled the eerie silence of the room. The overhang of the roof kept the raindrops from getting inside, allowing the cool, damp breeze to filter in, forcing out the scent of disinfectant. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes in pleasure. She loved the way the rain cleansed everything under its clouds.

"Mm."

Kiyomi's eyes popped open at the sound of the moan. She glanced back and saw Kakashi's eyelids slide apart slowly. He tried to move his arm and flinched as it jerked against its restraint. His sluggish mind began panicking and he struggled against the straps. Kiyomi turned on her heel and quickly knelt to undo the restraints.

"Hold on a sec, yeah?" she asked somewhat sarcastically as she freed his feet before moving to his arms.

"What—what is this? What's going on?" he demanded, bewildered.

"I told you earlier," Kiyomi began, finally unbuckling the final strap around his waist. "You're in the hospital. Don't worry, everyone else is fine. You're in recovery." She sat down in the chair beside his bed and watched him wearily. The first thing he did was pull the neck of his shirt up to the bridge of his nose. She quirked an eyebrow, but let the odd action go without asking for an explanation.

"Sakura, Naruto—"

"They're fine," she repeated, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him lying down. "But you, mister, you need your rest."

Kakashi looked up at her with wide eyes, as if not quite believing what he was seeing was real. She felt his forehead, concerned. It was still warm, as though the fever had broken but was not yet gone. She stood up and entered the bathroom attached to his hospital room. She held a washcloth under the cold tap for a few seconds before turning the water off and wringing the fabric out. She reentered the room and placed the folded cloth on his forehead.

"What happened to me?" he asked weakly.

"According to Naruto, you were attacked while on assignment. Your team carried you back to the Leaf Village. And now you're confined to this hospital bed while you recuperate."

Kakashi took a moment to digest the news. "And you are..?"

"My name is Kiyomi. I'm here to…" She grasped for straws, trying to think of a suitable explanation. For some reason, she felt that trying to explain the true nature of her arrival would lead to too many difficult questions. "I'm here as a favor to Lady Tsunade, to look after you while she's busy with other matters."

He appeared to accept this explanation and she sighed inwardly with relief.

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Don't take that off!"

Kakashi dropped the black string around his neck and looked at her in confusion.

"You have to leave that on," she insisted.

"Why?"

Kiyomi thought on it and supposed a little bit of the truth wouldn't hurt. "Because it's part of a special jutsu of mine. It'll help with your healing process."

"Special jutsu?" He seemed skeptical of the notion.

"Why are you awake anyway?" she countered, obviously changing the subject. "Surely you're still exhausted."

He opened his mouth to reply, but his stomach beat him to the punch. It growled so loudly that it completely blocked out the sound of the rain. Kiyomi couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her mouth. Kakashi scratched his head in embarrassment.

"I'll see what I can do about lunch," she said, laughter still peppering her tone as she exited the room.

* * *

><p>Kakashi watched Kiyomi walk out of the room and stared at the door long after it had closed. He fingered the crystal pendent resting on his chest absent-mindedly. Even though she was no longer at his bedside, her presence remained. He could feel it; a comforting feeling that enveloped him in peace and warmth. It was identical to the bliss he had felt after the agony had been shattered.<p>

_She was real._

His angel wasn't a figment of his fevered imagination. The glorious guardian that he had glimpsed before slipping into welcome unconsciousness was real. And, even better, she would remain his guardian for a while longer. She was his caretaker. She had said as much herself—a favor to Lady Tsunade.

However, as he lie there waiting for her to return, one of the many questions circulating in his mind was how she had come to know the fierce Lady.

* * *

><p>Kiyomi had set out to find the reception desk and ask for a meal to be brought to Kakashi's room, but soon found herself lost in the maze of identical white walls. This isn't good, she thought to herself. The greater the distance between her and the crystal, the weaker her jutsu became. She had to find her way back, and soon. She grimaced to think what would happen if the connecting chakra broke. She had undone Kakashi's restraints and left him unattended. There was no telling the damage he could do to himself if the pain and struggling were to return.<p>

She wandered aimlessly through a few more halls until she spotted a familiar orange jumpsuit walking away from her. She quickened her pace and caught up to the blond boy, encouraged by her good luck.

"Naruto! Hey, Naruto!"

He turned around and looked at Kiyomi with surprise. "It's you," he said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," she dismissed, eager to find her way out of this labyrinth. "Which way to the front desk?"

Naruto scratched the top of his head with his index finger and looked at her blankly. "I don't know. I'm on my way to see Kakashi-sensei."

"Great! Then which way to his room?"

"Uhm… that way." He pointed to the hall on the left. "Or maybe… that way?" He pointed to the right. "Or there…" Behind himself.

Kiyomi let her lungs deflate heavily in a defeated sigh and hung her head low. "Don't tell me that you're lost too! Oh, what are we going to do? We're stuck in these hallways and there's no one around and I just want to get out of here!"

While she was busy wailing, Naruto was studying the spot just below her left collarbone intently.

"Hey!" Kiyomi scolded, indignantly crossing her arms. "Now is not the time to be gaping at my chest!"

Naruto gave a derisive snort, instantly on the defensive. "As if you have anything there to look at, flat chest!" he retorted.

"Well I—!" She cut her sentence short as the anger rose in her throat and choked her. The heat welled up in her face from embarrassment. She wasn't _that_ tiny. Besides, it wasn't her fault, she reasoned with herself. The Unit's experiments were what put a damper on her growth. That _had_ to be it.

"What's that thread?"

Thread? She looked down at her shirt. "What are you talking about?"

"That dark orange line, right here." He touched a finger to his heart, nodding at her chest with his yellow head.

She took a closer look, using her other senses to help her see better. Oh! Suddenly it was clear to her. The chakra line! It was thin, but it was still connected to her. She looked up and gave the boy a wide grin.

"Oh, Naruto! You're a lifesaver!"

She turned on her heel and began following the small orange trail. If she concentrated on it, she could use it to retrace her steps and end up back and Kakashi's room. It wasn't the reception desk, but at least she would no longer be lost. Naruto stood stunned by her sudden change for only a moment before bounding to catch up to her.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Back to Kakashi's room. Remember that jutsu I used earlier?" She didn't look at him as she spoke, but kept her eyes trained on the thread instead.

Naruto simply nodded in response.

"It connects our nervous systems, connects our bodies. I can follow this chakra line and it will lead me right back to him."

The teen was silent for a moment as he pondered the concept. "What's the purpose of a jutsu like that? I thought you took his pain away."

"I did," she agreed. "But I can't simply take it away without any repercussions. There has to be an exchange somewhere. My chakra flows from me, into his body, and enters the nerves being targeted by the poison. Then the chakra carries the effects into my own body."

"Then what Kakashi-sensei felt…"

"Is what I am feeling now."

"But that's impossible!" he exclaimed. "Kakashi-sensei could barely stay conscious! How are you able to function so normally!?"

Kiyomi took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why she had decided to tell Naruto the true nature of her jutsu when she avoided telling Kakashi. She supposed it was his close resemblance to _him,_ Shinjiro, that made her feel comfortable talking to him. It was like having a brother all over again, like he had never… She shook her head to clear it of the bad memories.

"Naruto, there are many odd things about me, things I'm not okay discussing yet. But you have to promise me that what I just told you stays between us." This time, she did look up at him as she spoke and gave him a pointed look.

"But why?" he spluttered.

"You've known Kakashi for awhile, yes?"

"Yeah," he answered, confused.

"Do you think he's the type of man to accept this kind of help easily?"

The boy didn't reply to her question; it was rhetorical. Of course he wouldn't accept it. Kakashi was an honorable man. He would never agree to let a woman—or anyone for that matter—put themselves in harm's way for his benefit. Kiyomi had guessed as much from what Naruto had told her yesterday in the teahouse and that theory was just confirmed by the look in his eyes.

"And, here we are!" Kiyomi announced. She looked at where the chakra thread passed through a closed wooden door. She placed her hand on the handle and opened it to the familiar hospital room. Kakashi was as she had left him, in his hospital bed. However, he was now sitting up, sipping at a bowl of steaming soup. She arched an eyebrow in surprise. Someone must have brought him a meal in the time she had been lost. There was a cough at the window and she glanced over, instantly freezing.

That someone was yet another person from her past.

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted, looking over Kiyomi's shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Ah, Naruto, ever the same, I see." He turned his gaze to Kiyomi, who was still standing in the doorway with her hand clenching the handle tightly. "And what a wonderful surprise to see you here as well, my dear."

"Oji," she muttered in a breathless whisper, unable to believe her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>So, clarification for those who are not sure: Oji is the Japanese term for uncle.

Yah, I just did that. Hehehe, nothing like a good AU twist.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I also hope it was worth the wait. I'm eager to hear what you think!


End file.
